Resume Acronyms Cost You Interviews

February 13, 2026 February 17, 2026 by Sarah Mitchell in Career Advice 1 min read

Got a call from a veteran today. Separated six months ago, still looking. Says he applied to 200 jobs and heard back from maybe ten.

Told him his resume was the problem. Two pages of military acronyms. No civilian hiring manager knows what NCOIC means.

Spent an hour translating. Supervised a team of 12 became Managed a 12-person logistics operation. Same job, different language.

He sent out three applications yesterday. Two callbacks this morning. That’s the difference.

Sarah Mitchell

Author & Expert

Jason Michael, a U.S. Air Force C-17 pilot, is the editor of Job Postings for Military. Articles covering military life, benefits, and service-member topics are researched, fact-checked, and reviewed before publication. Read our editorial standards or send a correction at the editorial policy page.

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